On October 6, 2025, Russia began recording large-scale mobile Internet outages for foreign numbers and devices with eSIM. Calls and SMS work, but access to the network is intermittent or not provided at all; sources attribute this to targeted restrictions against the backdrop of the threat of strikes.
On October 6, 2025, Russia began recording large-scale mobile Internet outages for foreign numbers and devices with eSIM. Calls and SMS work, but access to the network is intermittent or not provided at all; sources attribute this to targeted restrictions against the backdrop of the threat of strikes.
The situation is reported by SPEKA with reference to a number of Russian sources. The restrictions affected all foreign SIM cards connected in roaming on the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as gadgets with eSIM. This concerns mobile data: voice calls and short messages remain available. Judging by the reports of local media and Telegram channels, the problems arose on the night of October 6 and persisted throughout the day in different regions.
Russian sources claim that the restrictions are being introduced intentionally “to protect against strikes.” The reports state that drones attacking targets in the Russian Federation often contain SIM cards from foreign operators, so access to the mobile Internet for such cards is restricted, particularly during times of threat of shelling. As a result, standard mobile data roaming does not work for tourists, business travelers, and owners of devices with virtual eSIM profiles.
The situation fits into the previous plans of the Russian authorities. Back in August, local media reported on the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Development regarding a “cooling off period” — five hours without mobile Internet for foreign SIM cards after entering the territory of the Russian Federation. Now the actual restrictions look broader and may apply beyond any fixed time frame.
The consequences for users are obvious: paid roaming packages lose their meaning, banking applications, cards, messengers and login confirmation services without mobile data work intermittently or do not work at all. For operators, this means a failure in mutual settlements for roaming, and for foreign companies - additional risks during business trips to Russia or transit trips. How long the restrictions will last and whether they will become a permanent practice is currently unknown: there were no official explanations from Russian regulators at the time of publication.
Recall, earlier dev.ua wrote about how Apple Pay finally stopped working in Russia and now it is impossible to add even foreign cards there.
